May Your Wings Spring Forth
by nalunatics
Summary: A commission on tumblr Soulmate AU where you grow wings when you meet your soulmate!


Lucy Heartfilia couldn't help but be a sucker for romance. She read countless sappy love novels; whether she found them herself while at the library or her friend Levy let her borrow them, Lucy read them. Not only was she a fan of the "cookie cutter", lame love stories that were all the same story, just with different characters, she was also a writer herself. She often found herself coming up with her own romance stories, though her genres weren't just romance, and writing fanfiction of her own favorite characters. Being such a romantic, it was only natural for Lucy to be completely enamored with the world that she lived in.

The bustling town of Magnolia was where Lucy lived on her own, very happily she might add. But she felt like something was missing as she pressed into her twenties. She knew that she was still young and there was still time, but she always imagined a "knight in shining armor" type to come sweep her away. Her mind was filled with such thoughts frequently, she couldn't help it. The society she lived in was that of romance and it was truly something beautiful to behold. Magnolia, and all of Earthland, was a place where soulmates truly _did_ exist, and it was breathtaking if you got a chance to see two meet. Lucy was always secretly hoping that the next day she opened her eyes would be the day that the purest form of magic would happen and her soulmate would step into her life, but still she waited.

Everyone in Earthland was born as any "normal" human would be, naked and crying into life. However, as Lucy grew, she saw the difference between people. For example, her mother and father, when they were alive, both adorned the telltale feature that they had met their forever person- they had wings. Beautiful, elegant, and amazing to Lucy. See, when someone meets their soulmate, wings spring from their backs, bold and stunning. When this first happens, the color of the wings depend on your soulmates hair color so, for Lucy's parents, they both sported wings different shades of blonde since they both had similar hair color. Lucy remembered always being in are of how beautiful and angelic they both looked, and how it was such an amazing sign of love. Having angel-like wings sprout from your back when you meet your soulmate was virtually the most romantic thing Lucy had ever been taught.

As soulmates progress in life and share experiences together, some of their wing's feathers begin to turn white and pure, and so does their own original hair color. It was as if the world they live in was making a statement that if you have truly found your one true love in life, it is one of the purest and most precious things in your life. The color changes take years and many moments to achieve, but Lucy remembered when she was little, and going out with her mother and seeing older and elderly couples, their wings and hair completely white, looking like the most striking angels she had ever seen. Angels walked amongst the rest, putting an example out for those looking for true love.

Everything comes with a price, however, and one of the most tragic parts of life was when half of a soulmate couple dies. When this occurs, the remaining person's wings turn translucent as if they, too, mourn for the loss of love. Over time, the feathers soon start to fall away until the wings completely disappear from that person's body. It always deeply saddened Lucy to see people walking through town, their sparse, transparent feathers dropping like delicate and despondent flower petals.

Lucy tried to look on the bright side of things, and that was being able to know that you're spending your life with your true soulmate once you found them, and that excited her to no end. She was always antsy about finding hers and worried that she wouldn't until she was old. What frustrated her the most was that there was really no way of telling when you would meet your soulmate; it was all a game of chance and time.

" _Lu-cy_ ," Levy's voice broke her thoughts from the book she was reading and she realized that tears had begun to slide down her cheeks dramatically. "Are you okay?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine!" Lucy chirped and flipped the book closed after sliding the bookmark in, wiping the tears off her face.

"I'm worried about you, you know?" Levy began, concern creasing her brows. "I really think you're spending too much time obsessing over these books, and that's _a lot_ coming from me. You know, known bookworm?" Levy tutted and Lucy pouted slightly.

"I'm not," Lucy disagreed and Levy rolled her eyes. She readjusted in her seat where they sat in their local café, and as she did, her gorgeous black wings rustled as if to annoy Lucy. "I just wish that I could find what you and so many other people have." Lucy's pout deepened and Levy sighed.

"Lu, you're only twenty three, and you know that Gajeel and I only met last year, it hasn't been that long." Levy comforted and Lucy knew she was being unfair. "It's really all about luck, you're not doing anything wrong. And besides, that's not all there is in life! You're an amazing writer for _Sorcerer's Weekly_! Don't harp on things that make you this upset." Levy smiled and Lucy, resting a hand on her own.

"I know, thanks Levy." Lucy smiled at Levy and tucked her book back into her bag. "Speaking of which, if I don't get started on my next column, Jason will have my head." Levy chuckled at Lucy and both girls stood up to leave.

"Don't stress too much," Levy warned. "Same time tomorrow?" Levy asked, referring to their down time at the café when they got to see each other and catch up.

"Yup! I think that Mira will be working so maybe she can take her lunch break with us."

"That sounds great," Levy smiled and then her eyes shot open in surprise, "Oh! I almost forgot, Gajeel's cousin is coming into town, I guess he had been traveling for work but he's coming back to Magnolia! He's got a place all lined up, but I wanted to have him over for dinner." Levy informed her and Lucy nodded, "Though Gajeel really seems opposed to the idea… But whatever! Anyway, I think that you should come! I think it would be good for you." Surprise ran through Lucy and then apprehension.

"I don't know if that's such a good idea," Lucy shook her head slowly as she spoke.

"C'mon, Lucy! You need to get out more, all you do is work and then fill your head with the nonsense of self pity. No offense." Levy smiled cheekily up at her. "I think that you should have a little bit of fun, and even if nothing comes of it, at least you let loose a little!" 

"I don't know, Lev, I don't really like spending my time on wasted hope…"

"How will you know if you _never_ want to try." Levy countered, an edge of authority in her voice. Lucy knew she was right, but the thought of being with someone who wasn't your soulmate was absolutely pointless to Lucy. Lucy sighed and Levy looked at her expectantly.

"Okay." Lucy finally breathed out and Levy skipped a little bit in delight as they walked out of the café.

"Yay!" Levy cheered and Lucy couldn't help but smile at how silly her best friend was being. "You'll have a great time! It's next Friday at mine and Gajeel's. Bring your beautiful self please!" Levy grasped her hands to her chest and fluttered her eyelashes at Lucy. Lucy snorted out a laugh and nodded her head.

"I already said okay, you don't need to butter me up." Lucy giggled and Levy smiled.

"Great! I can't wait!"

 _The Next Day_

Lucy sat in their usual café, _The Fairy's Tail_ , waiting for Levy. Their friend Mira worked as a waitress there so it was even more of an incentive to hang out there than just enjoying it.

"Here, Lucy," Mira stepped over to her, her blonde wings tucked behind her back neatly. "I brought you a strawberry shake, your favorite!" Mira smiled and Lucy happily took the drink from her.

"Thank you so much!"

"On the house!" Mira patted her head affectionately and sat down across from Lucy, her fists folded under her chin.

"I see some new white feathers on you, I see you and Laxus are doing well." Lucy pointed out, smiling at Mira who looked away bashfully for a moment.

"Yes, we are," Mira grinned fondly at the thought her of husband. "But the only thing is, I can't seem to see any changes in his wings."

"That's because they're already white," Lucy giggled, tugging gently on a lock of Mira's white hair. "You're already too angelic that there's no change to be seen." Lucy teased and Mira blushed.

"I'm being silly, of course I wouldn't be able to see white on white! But at least I can see it in his hair." Mira chuckled. Lucy was happy for her friends, they were all getting along happily. She wasn't really self pitying as Levy so lovingly put, though she knew she was joking; Lucy was genuinely happy for her friends. Sure, she had days when she felt a bit down, it seemed as though every week one of their friends was landing their soulmate, but that was the life of Earthland. So, Lucy would celebrate with them and be happy for them, it was great to see her friends finding such happiness, the ultimate love of the word. But there were days that it would really get to Lucy and she felt like every year that passed by was another year added to the list of never finding her soulmate. Sometimes she worried that she didn't even have one and she wasn't sure how to feel about that. She had read some books on the subject, and the only definitive answer she had gotten that was common amongst all her research was, sometimes the universe skips a person and a soulmate just isn't in the cards for them.

"Hey guys!" Levy called, waving from the doorway as she headed over to the table that Lucy and Mira shared. "Did I miss anything?"

"Mira and Laxus have racked up a good few number of white feathers." Lucy bragged for her friend and Levy smiled happily at Mira as she blushed.

"That's so sweet! Gajeel and I only have a few," Levy pouted a bit and briefly caught Lucy's eye. Lucy did her best to keep her eyes bright, she didn't want her friends throwing her a pity party. "Er, but that's fine! These things happen slowly and differently for everyone."

"Very true. It's exciting to see what the future holds!" Mira stated optimistically and Lucy smiled. Lucy was sure that there was hope for her yet.

The week flew by for Lucy which was good because work was a blur to her. She loved her job, but sometimes it would get a little overbearing. Jason was a great boss, but he could be a little demanding and his expectations were almost ridiculously high. Nonetheless, Lucy always seemed to please him with her work in the end, so she couldn't complain much. She got to write for a living and that made her happy. However, writing for a newspaper, mostly about the latest gossip, got old fast. Lucy took to writing for herself in her free time or writing for others in her favorite fandoms. She loved creative writing, it's what made her the happiest and it helped her unwind.

It was Friday, the day of Levy's dinner party, and Lucy was happy to have gotten out of work early so she got some time to herself. She did a bit of writing, she was always looking for time to also work on a novel that she eventually wanted to get published. She also wanted to make sure she looked nice for the evening, she was actually in a good mood about going over to Levy's to meet Gajeel's cousin. She knew it wasn't a date, as much as Levy wanted to push it as that, it was merely a gathering of friends. Lucy thought it would be nice to see Gajeel again since she hadn't seen him in almost a month. She and Levy would frequently hang out at each other's apartments, but since they had both gotten so busy at their jobs, they had to switch up their time by hanging out just for small amounts of time in the café. That was okay with them, but Lucy missed their sleepovers and fun nights together. It seemed as though things were always changing, but that couldn't be helped.

Lucy decided that she didn't like any of the dresses that she had in her closet, nothing seemed to be "perfect" for Levy's dinner. Something in her brain was making her feel awfully picky about the evening, so she decided to go out shopping. Going into town was easy for Lucy, it was a short walk from her apartment, and she enjoyed it because it was right along a canal that ran through Magnolia. Lucy loved where she lived, it was beautiful with cherry blossom trees and the peaceful bustle of the townspeople. Lucy stopped in her favorite shop, _Heart Kruez_ , in search of the perfect outfit. She didn't want to be too dressy, but she also wanted to look nice. After some searching, she found a light, summery dress; Lucy fell in love. It was a pear green with an abstract looking leaves and flower pattern. Lucy usually didn't mind wearing interesting and bold patterns, but the dress was unlike any other than she had.

After returning to her apartment, it was already almost time to be at Levy's apartment, so Lucy got dressed wearing a simple, light washed jean jacket over the dress, and pulled her hair up into a tousled bun, winglets framing her face. Feeling confident in herself, Lucy left for Levy's apartment with a skip in her step. She was at Levy and Gajeel's in no time, and Levy happily greeted her with open arms.

"Lu! You look so cute!" Levy praised and Gajeel snorted, but greeted Lucy with a smile. "So, Natsu is going to be late, I guess-"

"Freakin' typical. Can't even be on time to somethin' Lev's doin' for him." Gajeel grumbled and Levy just rolled her eyes and sighed.

" _Anyway_ , Gajeel's cousin's name is Natsu by the way. He'll probably be here within the hour, I'm sure it's because he's still getting settled in back in Magnolia." 

"That's no problem at all! We'll just have to have fun ourselves until he gets here." Lucy grinned and Levy nodded in agreement. Gajeel just quirked a brow and went back to watching whatever show it was that was playing on the television screen.

"Well, he's no fun, but we can hang out for a bit together!" Levy ushered Lucy into her bedroom and Lucy happily obliged. Their cat, Pantherlily, slunk out from underneath the bed and blinked his eyes at them before scurrying into the living room to go keep Gajeel company. "Oh, that's where he went! He ran from me when I was snuggling him." Levy pouted and Lucy snickered.

"Are you sure you were just snuggling him, or were you suffocating him again?"

"He's so cute and soft, I just can't help it!" Levy protested and Lucy giggled.

"You're gonna kill him one of these days, Lev! You need to be gentle." Gajeel called from the living room and Levy pouted.

"Hmph, anyway," Levy brushed aside her blue hair and tucked it behind her ear. "How are you?"

"You know, I'm doing good." Lucy smiled and nodded her head, "I feel good. I got to write a really interesting story about a well known artist in town!"

"Oh, is that Reedus? I love his work! He comes into the library and people can watch him paint live, it's really neat."

"Yeah! That's him!" Lucy replied and agreed that his work was amazing. When Lucy had been doing research in the article, she had to be sure to get a picture of Reedus as well as his work, and she couldn't help but notice he didn't have wings. He wasn't terribly old, but he wasn't young either. Lucy found herself wondering if someone's soulmate could be a passion of theirs; could it be that Reedus' soulmate was his work? He was a very quiet and soft spoken person who was rarely seen outside of being absorbed in a painting, and he looked truly happy doing it. Perhaps that was the answer to what happens when some people don't have a soulmate. Lucy's mind had wandered, a typical habit that she had formed, perhaps from her always thinking of a new story to write, her brain was always on.

"Hello, Earthland to Lucy?" Levy was snapping her fingers in front of her eyes and Lucy focused her attention on Levy's face. "You okay?"

"Yeah! I'm sorry. What were you saying?" Lucy apologized and Levy smirked.

"I was asking if you wanted to see a picture of Natsu," Levy whispered, looking devious. "I found his Facebook page and I thought you'd be interested." Levy teased and Lucy rolled her eyes. Lucy figured that Levy must be really feeling badly about Lucy to be pushing this guy on her so much.

"Alright, let's have a look." Lucy gestured to Levy's laptop and she excitedly tapped away into the search bar.

"His name is Natsu Dragneel," Levy began and Lucy giggled.

"His last name sounds like it belongs to a dragon." Lucy teased and Levy laughed, clicking on a profile.

"I know, it sounds like it belongs in a fantasy novel!" Levy agreed and pulled up his Facebook page. "Here, have a look. I think he's cute, but don't tell Gajeel." Lucy chuckled and flicked her gaze to the screen. Her breath caught in her throat as she laid eyes on a disheveled haired, devious looking man. His pink hair stuck out at odd angles, but it didn't look bad, it looked like it was done on purpose. His lips where drawn back revealing a toothy and cunning grin, and his slate grin eyes shone brightly. Lucy felt her cheeks heat up, she had not been expecting to feel so struck by the man, she almost never allowed herself to feel such things with new people. She didn't want to allow herself to get her hopes up and she rarely ever dated for that reason. What was the point of getting excited if ultimately it wasn't going to work out? She wasn't one to just "have some fun" and then be done with it, she was in it for the emotional aspects of a relationship as well. Yet here she was, going against everything her brain had always told her not to do, and was practically drooling over a guy she had never actually met.

"U-um…" Lucy stammered and Levy snorted out a laugh. Lucy shot an embarrassed glare at her friend who was practically rolling around her bed in a fit of laughter.

"Oh man, you should _see_ your face, Lu! You're so cute, heh," Levy wiped tears from her eyes and sat up. "I knew he'd be your type."

"H-hold on! Nothing's even happened. Yeah, he's attractive, but that's not why I'm here. I'm here to have a good time with you guys and to meet him and be friendly." Lucy pointed out defiantly. "It's not like anything will become of it." Levy seemed to sober up and nodded her head.

"You're right, I'm sorry Lu." Levy apologized, "I just want you to have a good time and be able to be happy. Just give this a chance, worst comes to worst, you come out of it with a new friend, right?"

"Yes, I suppose so." Lucy smiled at her friend and then suddenly, the doorbell rang causing Lucy to jump. Her heart leapt into her throat and her previous confidence of just having dinner diminished. She felt her heartbeat race as Levy stepped out into the hall to answer the door, her palms were sweaty with nerves, and she knew a blush was painted across her cheeks. She felt incredibly shy after having just gawked at a guy she had never met and a few minutes later, here he was, for her to meet. She felt childish apprehension as she crept out of Levy and Gajeel's room and down the hall where the kitchen and living room met. Lucy could hear Levy open the door and brightly greet the newcomer. Gajeel dragged himself off the couch and began to grumpily berate the guy. When Lucy heard Natsu's, she stopped in her tracks, lurking in the hallway for a moment. She loved his voice already, it was raspy with a hint of playfulness and innocence, it was something that she already felt herself drawn to.

"Gajeel, quit being an ass, Natsu, please come in! I invited our friend Lucy over for dinner as well, so we'll have a little party!" Levy's voice sounded closer as she closed the door.

"That sounds great! Thanks for having me, and don't worry, I know Gajeel's an ass. Sorry ya got stuck with him." Natsu chuckled and Lucy could see Gajeel's face as he threw a scowl in the direction of the kitchen.

"Oi, Lucy! Get over here so we can get on with this mess. Quit lurkin' in the hall!" Gajeel's less than elegant order left Lucy nearly falling to her feet in embarrassment. Lucy began stalking towards Gajeel, glaring at him. She was pleased to find that he actually looked intimidated for a moment before she composed herself and rounded the corner to finally meet Natsu.

"I wasn't lurking," Lucy hissed as she passed Gajeel and then turned, "Hi, I'm Luc-" She was distracted before she could finish her greeting, her eyes locking in with Natsu's. He was every bit as beautiful as his pictures showed and then some. She could fee her mouth left parted a bit, mid-sentence, his own face reflecting the shock that she felt. What distracted Lucy so badly was the fact that around Natsu, and herself, there was an almost heavenly glow. Her heart felt like it was about to pound out of her chest, and Natsu mindlessly set his bag on the kitchen table and took a slow step toward Lucy.

"No way…" Levy murmured and then a wide grin spread across her face. "I'm like a freaking clairvoyant!" Lucy ignored her outburst and watched in awe as the glowing light intensified and then suddenly and dramatically, blonde wings sprang from Natsu's back nearly knocking out the kitchen lights.

"Oi! Watch it!" Gajeel growled, but Natsu just looked amazed, his eyes never leaving Lucy. She was sure that, even though she couldn't see, beautiful pink wings were protruding from her. She felt them like an extension of herself, as if they were an extra set of arms, and it was beautiful. She felt like every bit of love she had in her body was about to explode out of her, and she stepped closer to Natsu, admiring the wings splayed out behind him.

"That's one way to greet someone," He breathed and Lucy's let out a shaky laugh. "I guess we've got some catching up to do."

"Y-yeah," Lucy agreed and reached out to touch a feather of Natsu's wings. He closed his eyes for a moment as if the tender touch provided a form of comfort, like a loving embrace. "Who knew?"

"Me, I did, thank me please." Levy chirped from the other side of her kitchen, a proud look on her face, and Lucy laughed.

"Please don't start making out or somethin', this is where we eat." Gajeel huffed and Lucy and Natsu laughed, their gazes locked in fond admiration.


End file.
